Independent Jewish Voices York (IJVY) strongly condemns the interference and bullying tactics that the pro-Israel organization Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) has employed at York University. FSWC CEO Avi Benlolo has been aggressively pressuring the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) to oppose a student- and alumni-led initiative calling on the Board of Governors to remove its investments from weapons manufacturers.

In this case, FSWC has become so desperate that Benlolo has also accused YUFA of anti-Semitism simply for raising the question of whether York would be honouring its own commitment to social justice by continuing to invest in weapons.

In many Israeli hospitals, Jewish and Palestinian doctors work side by side. Right-wing politicians who oppose the participation of Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Knesset (parliament) are more than willing to have Palestinians risk their lives fighting this deadly virus. But the practices of the Israeli government in providing health services to its citizens are highly discriminatory. As guest columnist Suha Salman-Mousa explains, they appear to be guided by a desire to protect Jewish citizens of Israel while mostly ignoring its non-Jewish citizens.